Knitting machine



Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 25, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l v ..N, 8 WM W a 54 fl m 3. WE 7 m m E MT 4 8 M a m ms a I F N 5 2H 0 3 1 \r Jul 7/ L Aug. 16, 1938. R. H. LAWSON KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 25, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. F1115. F1G.6.

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Original Filed Oct. 25, 1953 s Sheeis-Sheet s A/VEZYTWR R0551? TH 1A wsazv i i a Q r X y 7 Fm g; 1477"") Q Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Application October 25, 1933, Serial No. 695,154 Renewed September 16, 1936 17 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and processes and particularly to circular knitting machines of the type disclosed in the patent to Hemphill 933,433, September '7, 1909, latch needles being, preferably, used and without a socalled latch ring for holding the needle latches in an open position.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in section showing a needle par tially elevated with the last drawn loop holding the needle latch in an open position;

Fig. 2 is a similar View but showing the needle in an elevated position where the loop is below the needle latch;

Fig. 3 is also a sectional view showing the needle in its lowermost, stitch drawing position, the old loop or stitch being shown in a position to be knocked over the top of the needle hook by the adjacent sinker;

Fig. 4 shows the instep raising cam having elevated a jack to the instep level, the needle remaining in a relatively lowered position in which the last drawn loop prevents the closing of the latch either during reciprocatory knitting or upon the resumption of circular knitting;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing a pick elevating a short butt jack companion to a heel and toe needle;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 but showing an instep cam in position for lowering the long butt jacks and also some of the short butt jacks if they are not lowered in the usual manner by picks; I

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the respective paths of the needle butts and jack butts during normal or circular knitting;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing the inactive path of the needlebutts during reciprocatory knitting and showing instep and/or other jack butts being elevated to a non-knitting level;

.Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing upper and lower paths, the leading jack butt being elevated by a pick to the upper level and the following needles passing along the lower level; and

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the long and in some cases some of the short butt jacks being relowered to an operative level.

Although not essential to the invention the needle bed i is indicated as in the form of 2. cylinder within slots of which needles 2 having butts 3 are adapted to slide. The sliding movements of the needles are effected by companion jacks 4' which .also slide within the needle slots and remain in contact with the outer edges of their respective needles as by means of spring bands 5. The jacks 4 are also provided with butts 6 and at their upper ends pass upwardly through a sinker head 1 connected to the needle cylinder and adapted to rotate therewith if the needle cylinder is rotated with respect to the knitting cams. Surmounting the sinker head 1 but prevented from rotating therewith, is a sinker cap 8 having cams (not shown) for acting upon butts 9 of sinkers l0.

Ordinarily a so-called latch ring is utilized to maintain the latches l I of the needles in an open position, the last drawn thread loops being positioned below the needle latches by elevation of the needles 2 preparatory to reciprocatory knitting. By means of the instrumentalities and parts cooperating therewith as hereinafter to be more specifically described, the necessity for a latch ring is obviated, the needles 2 not being elevated to a latch clearing position preparatory to reciprocatory knitting.

In Fig. 1 the latch H is shown as being held in an open position by means of a bight ll! of the last drawn loop of thread; in Fig. 2 the needle is shown as having been elevated to a latch clearing position, the bight l2 being shown as below the latch H and a strand l3 of the thread being shown as about to be engaged by the hook of the needle; in Fig. 3 the needle is shown in its extreme lower, stitch drawing position in which position the strand i3 is shown as having been drawn through the bight l2 of the thread, the said bight being in a position to be knocked over the top of the needle by a forward movement to be subsequently imparted to the sinker I by a cam acting upon its butt 9. The movements just described are imparted to the needle 2 by means of a jack 4, a cam M by acting upon the jack butt 6 raising the jack and consequently the companion needle to the position shown in Fig. 2, and cams I and I6 immediately thereafter moving the needle to the position shown in Fig. 3.

The cams l4, l5 and E6, in addition to the functions just described, serve also as a means for maintaining the interengaging formations on the needles and jacks in engagement while the butts are being engaged by an upper or face of such cams. As shown in Fig. 2 the face of the cams I 4, I5 and I6 adjacent to the jacks 4 perform the additional function. The operative connections whereby movement imparted to a jack 4 will move its companion needle 2 either to an upper position such as shown in Fig. 2 or to a lowered position as shown in Fig. 3, consist of a bevel-sided recess I! on one edge or face of either the needle or jack and a correspondingly shaped lug or projection [8 on the adjacent face of the other instrumentality, e. g. needle or jack. Obviously, the cam l4 and springs 5 maintain the jacks and needles in the operative position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and when in such position movements imparted to the jack butts 6 cause the companion needles either to be elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2 or to be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3. upon which the butts 3 of the needles ride has no effect upon the vertical movements of the needles except as at 20 where the said needle butts are engaged and the needles elevated. It is evident that the jacks 4 bear against the outer face of the needles 2 at points closely adjacent the ends of each needle. restraining jacks from coming out of their slots will also press the needles inwardly against the back of the slots, this pressure being exerted at points closely adjacent the ends of the needle. Needles: will be maintained in better alignment due to this construction and this alignment will be maintained even though cams tend to rock the jacks within their slots.

Ordinarily during heel and toe or other reciprocatory. knitting the long butt instep needles are raised to the so-called instep level where the last drawn stitches are below the open needle latches, and as a consequence thereof a latch ring must be provided to prevent the closing of the latches of the idle, instep needles. In the present instance and as shown in Fig. 4 the instep needles are not elevated but their butts 3 move along the straight line indicated by the dot and dash lines 2|, Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In this position the needle latches II are maintained in their open position by the last drawn loops 22.

Preparatory to heel or toe or other reciprocatory knitting'an instep cam 23 engages the long butts 6 of the jacks 4 and elevates the same to travel along the path 24 which is above the center cam [5, the said jacks remaining in such elevated position until they are again lowered by the other instep cam 25 prior'to resumption of circular knitting, the butts 6 of the jacks being then engaged by the cam 25 and moving down to the lower level of the dot and dash lines 26. When the long jack butts 6 are engaged by the instep cam 23, the butts 3 of the needles are engaged by a cam or rib 21 integral with cam 23, the needles thereby being held down while the jacks are disconnected therefrom and moved to the position shown in Fig. 4, the tails 28 of the jacks moving from a position in contact with the upper edges of the butts 3. Likewise the earns 21' retain the needles in the position shown in Fig. 5 while the picks 29 operate to elevate the short butt jacks to the instep level. At each half reciprocation of the needles during reciprocatory knitting, if the needles reciprocate, the short jack butts 6 are engaged by a narrowing pick 29 and elevated to join the long butts of the jacks 4 where they remain until they are picked down to an operative level by widening picks (not shown), the action of the narrowing and widening picks upon the short butts of the jacks 4 being substantially the same as the action of the usual narrowing and widening picks upon short butts of needles. The picks 29 are guided in their movements by brackets such as bracket 38 which has a bayonet slot 3| therein, a pick 29 elevating the leading needle by riding up the inclined face or edge 32 of the pick bracket when narrowing and being caused to move up the inclined face The lower camv l9 The springs 5 or edge 33 of the bracket 30 when the needles move to the right, Fig. 9.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that by not raising the needles preparatory to and during reciprocatory knitting to the usual elevated position, the last drawn bights of thread remain in contact with the open needle latches and prevent their closing, thus avoiding the necessity for using a latch ring for this purpose and in conjunction therewith a gap closer adjacent to the usual mouthpiece.

The invention although of particular value in conjunction with reciprocatory knitting, such as heel and toe or split-foot knitting, is not necessarily and in all respects so limited.

Omission of the latch ring is particularly advantageous when knitting wrap stripes in a manner similar to that disclosed in the patent to Lawson 1,702,608, February 20, 1929, the absence of a latch ring in such machines facilitating the needle wrapping.

I claim:

1. A circular knitting machine of the independent needle type having a cylinder adapted to rotate and reciprocate, needles and jacks mounted to slide within slots of the needle cylinder, the jacks being companion to the needles and in contact with the outer edges thereof, interlocking formations on the needles and companion jacks, in combination with cam means for actuating the jacks and thereby their companion needles when the latter are knitting, the interlocking connections between the needles and jacks permitting the jacks to move independently of the needles so that such needles do not knit but remain in such a position that the last drawn loops prevent the closing of the needle latches.

2. An independent" circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder adapted to rotate during the knitting of circular work and to reciprocate as during the knitting of heels and toes of stockings, latch needles in the needle cylinder and means for rendering some of the needles inactive and thereafter adding needles to the inactive needles, the needles when inactive being at such a level that the last knitted stitches rest on the needle latches.

3. A needle and jack assembly for a knitting machine, the needle and jack each having laterally projecting butts and interlocking formations to permit the needle to move with the jack or to permit relative movements of the needle and jack, in combination with cam means so operating upon the needle and jack butts as to elevate the jacks only to inactive position preparatory to reciprocatory knitting.

4. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks connected to some at least of the needles and having butts thereon, butts on the needles, interlocking connectionsv between the jacks and companion needles, a cam for acting upon the butts on the jacks to move them lengthwise to separate the jacks from their needles as preparatory to reciprocatory knitting.

5. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein and jacks companion to the needles, interlocking connections between the jacks and needles, the construction being such that movements imparted either to the needles or jacks are normally communicated to the other, a cam for operating upon the butts on the jacks and another cam for coincidentally acting upon the butts on the needles to break the interlocking connection and thus permit the needles to remain inactive.

6. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks companion to the needles and having butts thereon, the jacks and companion needles being detachably connected in such a manner that at times in the knitting cycle the needles and jacks move together, in combination with picks acting upon certain ones of the jack butts to effect a separation between the jacks and companion needles sothat the picking of the jacks renders the needles temporarily inoperative.

'7. A knitting machine having needles and jacks independently mounted therein, butts on the needles and jacks and cam means acting upon the butts on needles and jacks for causing a relative movement between the needles and jacks to effect an interlocking engagement between such needles and jacks after the interlocking engagement has been broken.

8. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, a jack associated with each needle some of the jacks having short butts and the remaining jacks having relatively long butts, interlocking connections between the needles and companion jacks, cam means acting upon the butts on the jacks to impart knitting movements to the companion needles, an instep cam for acting upon the long butt jacks to separate the said jacks from their companion needles preparatory to reciprocatory knitting, and picks progressively acting upon some of the short butts on the jacks to separate the said jacks from their companion needles during reciprocatory knitting.

9. In a knitting machine, a needle and jack assembly characterized by interlocking formations at one position only on both the needle and jack, the formations each having a beveled edge whereby one of the elements may be detached from the other, a butt on the jack and another butt on the needle and cams for engagement with said butts, and means for maintaining said formation in interlocking engagement while said cams are acting upon said butts.

10. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks individual to each needle and each jack arranged in the same slot with and in front of its needle and each jack being movable longitudinally with or independently of its needle, said jacks being provided with needle contacting projections at either end, and resilient means for urging the jacks inwardly of the slots whereby each needle will be retained against the back of its slot by pressure adjacent its extreme ends.

11. A knitting machine having therein needles and jacks, one jack for each needle and means for resiliently retaining the needles and jacks within slots in a carrier, butts on the needles and on the jacks, interengaging connections between the jacks and needles and cams for engagement with the butts, and means for maintaining said connections in engagement while said butts are engaged by one at least of said earns.

12. In a knitting machine, needles and jacks, releasable and interengaging formations between all the needles and jacks and a cam pressing against the jacks adjacent their needle engaging portions, so that at certain positions about the machine each jack and needle must move together and at other positions movement imparted to a jack will separate it from its needle.

13. A knitting machine having therein needles and jacks, cams for imparting movements to the jacks, releasable and interengaging formations between each needle and jack so constructed that if maintained in engaging relationship the jack and needle will move as a unit but if not, the jack will be separate from its needle, and means acting upon the jacks to maintain each jack and needle in engagement.

14. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks individual to each needle and each jack arranged in the same slot with and in front of its needle and each jack being movable longitudinally with or independently of its needle, each jack being provided with a needle contacting projection, and resilient means for urging the jacks inwardly of the slots whereby each needle will be retained against the back of its slot.

15. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks individual to each needle and each jack arranged in the same slot with and in front of its needle and each jack being movable longitudinally with or independently of its needle, each jack being slidable and provided with needle contacting projections at either end, and resilient means for urging the jacks inwardly of the slots whereby each needle will be retained against the back of its slot by pressure adjacent its extreme ends.

16. A knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, jacks individual to each needle and each jack arranged in the same slot with and in front of its needle and each jack being movable longitudinally with or independently of its needle, each jack being slidable and provided with a needle contacting projection, and resilient means for urging the jacks inwardly of the slots whereby each needle will be retained against the back of its slot.

17. A knitting machine having a slotted needle carrier needles and jacks therein, one jack for each needle and means for resiliently retaining the needles and jacks within the slots in said carrier, butts on the needles and on the jacks, interengaging connections between the jacks and needles and cams for engagement with the butts, and means for maintaining said connections in engagement while said butts are engaged by one, at least, of said cams, said means being a portion of at least one of said cams.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. 

